Zizia plant named ‘Crazy Quilt’

ABSTRACT

A new cultivar of  Zizia  named ‘Crazy Quilt’, characterized by its heart shaped variegated foliage that changes color throughout the growing season, its spring foliage that emerges light green in color with an irregular white margin and a central dark green patch, its summer foliage that is gray-green in color with an irregular margin that is white and purple-pink in color, its fall and winter foliage that is two-toned purple and pink in color, and its small yellow umbellate flowers that emerge in the spring.

Botanical classification: Zizia aptera.

Cultivar designation: ‘Crazy Quilt’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Zizia aptera named ‘Crazy Quilt’ and is hereinafter referred to by its cultivar name ‘Crazy Quilt’.

The inventor discovered the new cultivar as a naturally occurring whole plant mutation in Framingham, Mass. in spring of 2002. ‘Crazy Quilt’ was discovered as a single unique plant in a tray of seedlings that had been planted with seeds collected from unnamed plants of Zizia aptera that were grown in a cultivated area.

Asexual propagation of the new cultivar was first accomplished by the Inventor by division in Framingham, Mass. in June 2004. Asexual propagation of the new cultivar by division and tissue culture has shown that the unique features are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and represent the characteristics of the new cultivar. These attributes in combination distinguish ‘Crazy Quilt’ as a new and unique cultivar of Zizia.

-   -   1. ‘Crazy Quilt’ exhibits heart shaped variegated foliage that         changes color throughout the growing season.     -   2. ‘Crazy Quilt’ exhibits spring foliage that emerges light         green in color with an irregular white margin and a central dark         green patch.     -   3. ‘Crazy Quilt’ exhibits summer foliage that is gray-green in         color with an irregular margin that is white and purple-pink in         color.     -   4. ‘Crazy Quilt’ exhibits fall and winter foliage that is         two-toned purple and pink in color.     -   5. ‘Crazy Quilt’ exhibits small yellow umbellate flowers in the         spring (similar to the species).

Plants of the parent species, Zizia aptera, differ from ‘Crazy Quilt’ in having non-variegated foliage. The flowers of ‘Crazy Quilt’ are not unique from the flowers of the species. There are no other cultivars of Zizia aptera known to the Inventor.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

The accompanying colored photographs illustrate the overall appearance and distinct characteristics of the new Zizia. The photographs were taken of a three year-old plant grown in a trail garden in Framingham, Mass.

The photograph in FIG. 1 provides a close-up view of the summer foliage of ‘Crazy Quilt’.

The photograph in FIG. 2 provides a view of the plant in bloom and the spring foliage of ‘Crazy Quilt’.

The photograph in FIG. 3 provides a view of the fall to winter foliage of ‘Crazy Quilt’.

The colors in the photographs are as close as possible with the photographic and printing technology utilized and the color values cited in the detailed botanical description accurately describe the colors of the new Zizia.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION OF THE PLANT

The following is a detailed description of three year-old plants of the new cultivar as grown outdoors in a 2-gallon container in Framingham, Mass. The phenotype of the new cultivar may vary with variations in environmental, climatic, and cultural conditions, as it has not been tested under all possible environmental conditions. The color determination is in accordance with The 2007 R.H.S. Colour Chart of The Royal Horticultural Society, London, England, except where general color terms of ordinary dictionary significance are used.

-   General description:     -   -   Bloom period.—Two weeks in mid to late spring in Framingham,             Mass.         -   Plant type.—Herbaceous perennial.         -   Plant habit.—Compact, rosette-forming, mounded stem-less             foliage, with leafy flowering stems arising above the basal             foliage.         -   Height and spread.—Reaches up to 61 cm in height (measured             to the top of the inflorescences) and about 41 cm in width             when mature.         -   Hardiness.—At least in U.S.D.A. Zone 4.         -   Diseases and pests.—Disease free in the conditions tested,             no susceptibility or resistance to pests has been observed.         -   Roots.—Stout, fleshy-fibrous, densely-packed woody rhizomes;             an average of 2.5 cm in length and 1.3 cm in width, a blend             of 200A and N199B in color, ridged and knotty surface.         -   Propagation.—Division and tissue culture.         -   Growth rate.—Moderate. -   Stem description (flowering stems):     -   -   Branching habit.—Stemless, leaves emerge from rootstalk,             flowering stems emerge from basal rosettes.         -   Flowering stem shape.—Oval.         -   Flowering stem color.—144B.         -   Flowering stem size.—Up to 61 cm in length and 4 mm in             width.         -   Flowering stem surface.—Finely pubescent.         -   Flowering stem aspect.—Held at an average angle of 5 to 10°             (0°=vertical). -   Foliage description:     -   -   Leaf shape.—Basal leaves deltoid to cordate, cauline leaves             deltoid to cordate to ternate with leaflets ovate, leaf             obovate overall.         -   Leaf division.—Basal and cauline leaves simple.         -   Leaf base.—Basal leaves cordate, cauline leaves cuneate to             cordate.         -   Leaf apex.—Basal and cauline leaves acute.         -   Leaf venation.—Palmate, color; 138B on upper surface and the             same as leaf color on lower surface on mature leaves.         -   Leaf margins.—Basal leaves; crenate, cauline leaves;             un-lobed or ternate with lobe margins crenate.         -   Leaf attachment.—Petiolate on basal and cauline leaves.         -   Leaf arrangement.—Basal leaves emerge from rootstock as a             rosette, cauline leaves alternate.         -   Leaf orientation.—Basal and cauline leaves; held nearly             upward from petiole.         -   Leaf surface.—Basal leaves upper surface; glabrous, dull,             and coriaceous, basal leaves lower surface; very finely             puberulent, cauline leaves upper and lower surface; glabrous             and dull.         -   Leaf color.—Spring upper and lower surface; 146B with             irregular margin markings of 158B, summer upper surface; a             blend between N137C and 189A with irregular markings of 158B             and margins 186A, summer lower surface; 191A with irregular             margin markings of 158B and margins 186A, fall and into             winter upper and lower surface; centers 79A with irregular             margins of 67A.         -   Leaf size.—Basal leaves; emerge small; an average of 1.2 cm             in length and 1.5 cm in width gradually becoming larger to             range from 3 to 10 cm in length and 7 cm in width, cauline             leaves; an average of 3 cm in length and diameter with lobes             an average of 2 cm in length and 1.5 cm in width when             ternate.         -   Leaf quantity.—Basal leaves; about 5 per rootstock, about 30             densely packed rootstock as grown in a 2-gallon container,             cauline leaves; an average of 3 per flowering stem.         -   Petioles.—Basal leaves; oval in shape, average of 13 cm in             length and 2 mm in width on mature leaves, 138B in color on             mature leaves, surface is pubescent with very short stiff             hairs, base is winged with wings about 1 cm in length and 1             mm in width, translucent and 145C in color, cauline leaves;             an average of 1 cm in length and 2.5 mm in width, 144B in             color, very lightly pubescent surface. -   Flower description:     -   -   Inflorescence type.—Compound umbel, 1 to 3 per stem.         -   Inflorescence size.—An average of 8 cm in height and about             10 cm in width.         -   Inflorescence number.—An average of 12 per three year-old             plant.         -   Flower fragrance.—None.         -   Flower quantity.—Average of 140 flowers per flowering stem.         -   Flower lastingness.—Average of two weeks.         -   Flower buds.—Globose in shape, an average of 1.5 mm in             diameter and 3 mm in depth, apex is 1B in color with calyx             portion 144A.         -   Flower aspect.—Upright and outward.         -   Flower type.—Campanulate with petals recurved inward.         -   Flower size.—About 3 mm in length and 1.5 mm in diameter.         -   Petals.—5, oval in shape, and average of 1.5 mm in length             and 1.5 mm in width margin is entire, apex is obtuse and             curled inward, base is truncate, upper and lower surface 1A             in color.         -   Calyx.—Comprised on 5 fused sepals, oval in shape, average             of 2 mm in depth and diameter, outer and inner surface 145A             in color with glabrous surface.         -   Peduncles.—Average of 1.4 cm in length and 1 mm in width,             glabrous surface, held upright to horizontal, color a blend             of 138B and 138C.         -   Pedicels.—Average of 1 mm in length and 0.7 mm in width,             color a blend of 138B and 138C, surface glabrous. -   Reproductive organs:     -   -   Gynoecium.—1 pistil, stigmas bifid and 145B and translucent             in color, styles are about 1 mm in length and 145D in color,             ovaries are 144A in color.         -   Androcoecium.—5 stamens, anthers are about 0.7 mm in length             and 0.5 mm in width, in color, filament 1 mm in length and             145D in color, pollen was not observed.         -   Seed/fruit.—Fruit; oblong to ovate shizocarp, an average of             3 mm in length, laterally flattened with 5 un-winged ribs             along each carpel, N186A in color. 

It is claimed:
 1. A new and distinct cultivar of Zizia aptera plant named ‘Crazy Quilt’ as herein illustrated and described. 